Who I'm Becoming

 

"Inspiration is the greatest gift that an artist bequeaths to future artists, igniting the desire to produce their own work"

-Patti Smith

As I delve back into photography, I continue to look for inspiration and work to grow. Earlier today I watched a video produced by a young photographer I admired and a couple of the things he deemed important to grow as a photographer included travel and reading photo books. The travel aspect I am working on due to the changes in the recent few years, but photography books are easier to obtain thanks to the great library system and thrift stores here.

Tonight I've been delving through Patti Smith's, "Book of Days". It's an inspiration in that she produced the images on her old Polaroid (I adore instant film) and other cameras. She had posted them on Instagram. I'm doing something similar. However, for me it's not about becoming famous or known really, it's the act and discipline of figuring out what inspires me and where I'm going on this journey. Putting them out, enforces the discipline. I know that I love both analog and digital. I don't feel I have to give up one over the other, rather I think they can co-exist and provide a unique path of creativity. Just a note is that some people feel they are more Zen with film then digital. I actually am finding that I am fairly Zen with my digital. I don't shoot a good deal all at once. I look for inspiration and then just take a few shots at most. It's kind of a street photography approach. If I'm lucky and use what I know, I often get what I hope for.

And so the journey of becoming continues.

Patti Smith, "Horses":

Pondering on Photography

"The attributes of asymmetry are humility, grace, kindness and decency, while profit, greed and indecency are symmetry."

-Yohji Yamamoto 

Reading CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, A Life in Fashion. While it's a book about her style, there is a subtext relating to photography. A big hallmark of being a photographer is finding your voice. Another is the theme of the juxtaposition of photography both being private and public. Interestingly CBK never wanted fame, but it was thrust upon her and her life became a paparazzi nightmare.  This leads into the idea of street photography with an individual(s), is capturing an unexpected moment and then often placing it in the public eye. It used to be an individual could still retain their anonymity, but now with the lack of boundaries that can occur, the individual can be given a public persona. For me that is going to be a hardship. I think that if I capture a private moment with an individual, I would want their permission first before publishing it. Which may fly in the face of some street photographer's approaches, but you are seeing all sorts of ideas in today's world. Watching a series of YouTube interviews with street photographers, I watched one who did portraits only if the person was willing and then if possible would share it with them.

I found her interview so inspiring, I will share the link for this instead of the usual music.

Paulie B, "Spreading Joy With Photography".

Continuing

"A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away".

-Adrienne Grimes

So it was a great couple of days working with digging into photography. I went into YouTube for inspiration and went out and got some shooting done. Still working with my phone as I work up a couple of cameras that have been sitting.  Watching people do street photography brought back memories of a trip I took to SF with my former roommates father who was/is a brilliant photographer. I learned so much, but didn't fully keep up. That and portraiture are themes that are on my mind. 

I found out by looking at videos on cameras on Ebay, that film is coming in and there by driving up prices again. I mourn that I had loaned a Zenza Bronica ESTR to a friend in California and never got it back....it's not going to be cheap to pick up medium format again, but I have plans for that.

But my soul is singing and I'm happy to be digging in.

Paul Simon, "Kodachrome":